Cotton-gin



(No Model.)

J. KOPPLE'R.

- GOTTONGIN. I No. 247,928. Patented. Oct. 4,1881.

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PhuloLKhogI-npher. Washingtom at:

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KOPFLER, OF AMITE CITY, LOUISIANA.

COTTON-GIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,928, dated October 4, 1881.

Application filed July 6, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrn KOPFLER, of Amite City, of Tangipaho;\ parish, and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful 1mprovernent in Ootton-Gins; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which Figure 1 is a front view of-my improved cotton-gin. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through line a, Fig. 1; and Figs. 4. and 5 are detail views.

My invention relates to improvements in cotton-gins; and it consists, first,'in imparting a revolving motion to the brush-cylinder from the saw-shaft by means of a friction-pulley on the end of the saw-sh aft bearing against a friction-pulley onthe shaft of the brush-cylinder, the friction-pulley on the brush-cylinder shaft being journaled in sliding journal-boxes operated by a cam-lever to increase or decrease the pressure or friction between the frictionpulleys, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

My invention. further consists of a revolving picker provided with a shield,and armed with teeth inclined backwardly and arranged under the brush-cylinder, and driven by a belt from the saw-shaft, the teeth of the picker straightening the fibers of the cotton, and the brushcylinder running near the picker and carrying off the cotton from the'picker, which is thence carried out of the gin through the flue.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction,hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,arepresents the frame of my improved cotton-gin, in the sides of which are journaled the saw-shaft b and brush-cylinder shaft 0, of the usual construction.

01 represents a band-pulley near one end of the saw-shaft,bymeansof which the gin is operated by any suitable power.

erepresents a friction-pulley fast on one end of the saw-shaft, and having a curved or convex periphery adapted to engage and fit into a groove, f, in the periphery of a friction-pulley, h, on one end of the shaft cof the brushcylinder, so that in the revolution of the sawcylinder by power applied to the band-wheel I the brush-cylinder will be driven by the friction-pulleys bearing against each other.

Instead of constructing the peripheries of the friction-wheels as described, one being made convex and the other grooved, the peripheries of both wheels may be made plane or flat with a like result.

In order to vary or regulate the amount of pressure, and consequently the friction, between the friction-pulleys as desired, I have devised the following means to produce that result:

4. i represent brackets or supports for the bearings of the brush-cylindershaft c. The

supports 6 are secured tothe outer faces of the opposite sides of the frame, under the ends of the brush-cylinder shaft 0. Each support 1: is provided with a recess, k, in its upper face, adapted to receive the lower end of the hearing 1 of the brush-cylinder shaft 0. The recesses k k in the upper faces of the supports are longer than the bearings I, so that the bearings are capable of being slid back and forth in the recesses a short distance. The lower horizontal faces of the supports are provided with longitudinal slots for the passage of setscrews m, which are screwed into the lower faces of the bearings, whereby the bearings are held in place and guided when slid back and forth in the recesses in the upper faces of the supports. A slot or opening is made in the outer end of'the support 4., which lies on that side of the machine on which the friction-pulleys lie. In this opening is pivoted a cam-lever, a, thecam being adapted, as the lever is swung down, to bear against the bearing 1 of the brush-cylinder shaft 0 and slideit forward and increase the pressure and, consequently, thefriction between thefriction-pulleys. When the cam-lever a is thrown up, so that the cam does not bear upon the sliding bearing 1, the pressure of the driving-pulley on the saw-shaft causes the driven pulley, journaled in its sliding box, to recede, so as not to revolve it, and thereby saves a great deal of wear that would otherwise occur. The opposite end of the brush-cylinder is also journaled in adjustable hearings, to allow aplay of that end of the brush-cylinder to prevent binding as the friction-pulley on the brush-cylinder shaftis moved back and forth.

0 represents a picker, the axis or central shaft, 1), of which is journaled in the sides of the frame and projects at one end beyond one of the sides of the gin, and is provided with a band-pulley, q, for the reception of a band, 1', which passes also around a band-pulley, s, on the saw-shaft. By this construction it will be seen that the picker is driven from the sawshaft and prevented from running with the speed of the brush-cylinder (under which it is arranged and in contact therewith) by the frictional contactof the picker and brush-cylinder, which, ifthe picker and brush-cylinder revolved with the same speed, would cause the cotton to wrap around the picker and preventit from being cleared of its cotton by the brush-cylinder. The picker 0 consists of a small cylinder armed with short spikes 0 inclined rearwardly, so as to be cleared of the cotton by the brush-cylinder, which runs near enough the picker to touch the spikes and brush the cotton off them and carry it out through the flue. The function of the picker is to straighten the fibers of the cotton asit passes through the gin. t represents a shicld,having its ends secured in the inner faces of the sides of the frame. The shield 15 has a semi-cylindrical recess, a, in which the picker rev0lves,and a shortstraight portion, 1;, lying between the gin-saws and the brush-cylinder, and a bent and downwardlycurved portion, w, lying under the brush-cylinder. By this construction thereuare no sharp angles in the shield to interfere with the brush in its revolving movement.

Near the upper end of each rib a are formed recesses b on both sides of the rib, and lying opposite each other. The recesses bin the upper ends of the ribs are arranged just above the saws, and their function is to allow motes and small trash to pass freely through between the ribs and not clog the space between the ribs above the saws, which space between the ribs is liable to become clogged in the usual construction, and thus interfere with the operation of the gin.

I claim as my invention 1. In a cotton-gin, the combination, with a friction-pulley, 0, fast on the saw-shaft, and friction-pulley 71, fast on the brush-cylinder shaft, of the slotted and recessed supports z'i, sliding bearings ll of the brush-cylinder shaft, and cam-lever a, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the saw-shaft 1),

provided with a band-pulley, s, of the picker 0, having rearwardly-projecting spikes 0, and a band-pulley, g, on the end of its axis, band 1', and a brush-cylinder revolving in contact with said picker, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a revolving picker, 0, having rearwamlly-projecting spikes 0, of the shield t, having a semi-cylindrical recess, a, straight part v, and curved part 10, without salient angles, and a brush-cylinder revolving in contact with said picker and shield, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH KOPFLER.

Witnesses ALBERT 1 VoG'r, CHARLES THORIIAUER. 

